CR Gazette says Vilsack talking to Whirlpool @ building them

[rurallib]

a new state of the art factory. Why not throw in some $1/hour workers with no benies, Tom?
This really strikes me the wrong way. Thousands of businesses in Iowa, each of which would like new facilities paid for by some one else. Maybe I am taking this the wrong way?

[CornField]

1. This is done - in one form or another - all the time

Corporations have come to understand that communities will compete to have them locate there. It's to the point where towns and cities will sell their collective souls for the next 10-20 years in order to have a semi-large business move in. There has to come a time when the incentives -- TIF, Brownfield cleanup, construction, utiltities, etc. -- out-weigh the overall benefit to the community. After all, not all corporations, especially manufacturing ones, even develop 20-year strategic plans.

[rurallib]

2. I know but this one seems sooooo -

I don't know - blatant, so much of a "screw the taxpayer" attitude. And I know that corporations just love having governors throwing all sorts of goodies at them for free. Just wrong in so many ways.

[Hardrada]

3. But..but this will make Vilsack even more famous

and great! And one more thing on his rap sheet (O I Mean dossier) to ensure his viability in the upcoming contest for the American Presidunceity.

[9119495]

4. This is a tough one. Amana and Newton are done for without

Whirlpool.

And Whirlpool must be the scum of the earth (okay they have good company with Wal-Mart, etc.). They basically told the governor they will be moving to China and because everyone else is doing it, you can't just bring in another company to Newton AND Amana and start something new. I have students that will be devastated by this because their parents have worked at these locations for 20+ years. There is no where for them to go.

So while I object to the principle of this, I can understand the desire to save these people.

If Whirlpool goes, I'd rather the state pass a tax credit for buying anything NON-Whirlpool just to screw em'.

[IA_Seth]

5. Now THERE is an idea!

Lol, a tax credit for buying non-whirlpool appliances, that would be great.

I agree with you on this on though, while it really bothers me that our economy is so slow that we have to beg, borrow, and steal to keep jobs in our state, we DO need to keep jobs in our state.

While I do not agree with the majority of the Values Fund corporate welfare projects, I think that these jobs are vital to the success of the towns/cities involved. If we are to give money to corporations to help save jobs, I would prefer to do it in communities of this size than in Des Moines.

[9119495]

6. That is just the thing. They give these deals out even when they

don't need to. For example, Hy-Vee has received TIF funding to build stores. Where the hell else were they going to build? China? IT'S A GROCERY STORE!

It is time we start to fight this stuff by passing a national law preventing this kind of community competition. Sure, all powers not granted to the fed go to the states, but we should be able to word it in a manner that stops this practice. What benefits a local area is sometimes counter-productive to national needs.

[rurallib]

11. There is actually a case before the USSC contending that this crap

violates the commerce clause. Originated when Chrysler (I think) plant was enticed to move from Michigan to Ohio. Claim is that this is similar to states imposing tariffs on other states when the constitution was written and the commerce clause was put in to stop that.
With Alito & Roberts my bet is they will rule that it is ok to give any and all taxpayer money to corporations. This could be a disasterous decision.
Think it is on the docket for next year. Not sure how it has been ruled so far.

[Debi]

7. GO VALUES FUND!

Our tax dollars at work! Thanks, Tom, for making this state more coporate friendly during your two terms in office. You're doin a heck'ofa job for all those Labor Unions that endorsed you. :woohoo:

[Broke Dad]

8. Question?

A question I asked Vilsack when Blue Bird closed the school bus factory in his hometown of Mount Pleasant: How about loaning money to workers to buy the plant and operate it? Blue Bird refused to negotiate a sale and Vilsack's son had worked there summers and he said that all of the equipment was shot.

But what about Maytag workers or especially Amana workers buying back their plants (and the Amana name) with state help, rather than throwing money or pearls before swine like Whirlpool? If the current Maytag management had a clue, we wouldn't be having this discussion. So maybe the workers should have a shot at designing, manufacturing and selling high quality, dependable appliances (like the old days) when electricity reached Iowa's farmers?

Hey, GOV . . . Loan the money to the workers to buy the Maytag and Amana plants! Even use Iowa state eminent domain powers to condemn the property, pay Whirlpool a fair price and resell the plants to the workers!

[Debi]

9. Man, THAT is beautiful!

But too logical for Vilsack and won't get him any national play.

I do like the way you think though! :applause:

[The Revolution]

10. Excellent Idea

There's no reason to sell our souls to a corporation just to get them to stay here. We could use the money to buy the plants ourselves, or instead of building a new plant for Whirpool, building one and running it ourselves. Hell, if they are shutting the plants down and putting all those people out of work, the state should seize the property for the public good.

Then we can compete with Whirlpool. And if our company has no grossly overpaid CEOs, we can sell them at cost of labor + parts. I don't see how Whirpool would stand a chance against that.